(CNN) - While parts of the government remain closed and the debt limit deadline is less than a week away, negotiators appear a little bit closer Friday to working out a deal.

Up to speed

President Barack Obama and House Speaker John Boehner spoke by phone on Friday afternoon and agreed that all should “keep talking,” according to their spokesmen.

This as the White House expressed concerns with a proposal by House Republicans that would only address a debt-ceiling increase, saying Obama wants to do that and reopen the government.

Over in the Senate, CNN’s Dana Bash reports several impatient GOP senators are willing to give Boehner a day or two to come up with a deal with the White House on the shutdown and the debt ceiling. After that, they plan to push their own ideas more aggressively. They want longer-term solutions.

On the table

GOP sources told CNN's Deirdre Walsh that House Republicans have made an offer to President Barack Obama to resolve the budget standoff but the plan falls short of Obama's demand to immediately reopen the government. But the plan would temporarily raise the debt ceiling, the other key Democratic demand.
Republican leaders are pushing to separate the two issues and allow a vote to raise the debt limit while continuing talks with the White House over a government funding bill that would end the shutdown.
The House vote on a short term debt ceiling could come over the weekend.

Capt. Keith Colburn, one of the irascible skippers on TV's "Deadliest Catch," left the dangerous Bering Sea, where he normally skippers a crab boat, for the equally treacherous waters of Washington to talk about the shutdown's effect on the fishing industry.

"We're basically locked out, our fisheries are all closed because we don't have National Marine Fisheries... on the job to issue the permits," Colburn said. "I guess they're deemed unessential staff; they're kind of essential to us."

The short crab season starts in a few days and without a permit, Colburn won't be able to make a living. And if the U.S. fleet can't fish, Colburn expects others to fill the void in the export market.
"There is a threat that our crab will be replaced by cheap Russian imports, or pirated Russian crab, and that will definitely occur in Japan," Colburn said.

Republican senators have their own plan

Even before Thursday's breakthrough, Obama had already scheduled a meeting with Republican senators on Friday morning.

They came with a plan of their own that would raise the debt ceiling and reopen the government. It also included a provision to end a tax on medical devices, which was created as a funding mechanism to pay for the President's signature health care law.

That provision has continually been a Republican negotiating point and some Democrats have supported it, too.

After the meeting, Republican Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, who has been working on the Senate plan, summarized the discussion to reporters: "He said that some of the elements were issues we could work on but he certainly didn't endorse it."

Asked if he thought the issues could be worked out over the next few days, Republican Sen. Orrin Hatch of Utah replied, "No, I didn't come away with that feeling. I came away with a feeling this is gonna be a difficult experience."

While North Carolina says it doesn’t have the money for about 50,000 food aid recipients, other states are rearranging funds to accommodate the demand. In November, however, the story will be very different if the government is still closed.

Maine is worried about the lack of funds for a program called LIHEAP, which provides heating assistance for low income people.

The District of Columbia is in a crunch. Mayor Vincent Gray said the city has had to delay $90 million worth of payments to Medicaid providers, it is about to miss a $150 million payment to charter schools, and it hasn’t been able to pay a multimillion-dollar bill to the public transit system, WMATA. That’s because Congress controls most of D.C.’s money and isn’t able to release it due to the government shutdown.

Federal courts will remain open – for now. The court system, including the Supreme Court, has the money to operate until October 17.

soundoff(25 Responses)

Bessy

I just hope it is not Obama doing all the giving.

October 11, 2013 10:16 am at 10:16 am |

Lynda/Minnesota

Looks as if Paul Ryan handed out his talking points after his White House meeting last night. Who knows. He could have handed his talking points out before the meeting. A great before or after scoop for "real" journalists.

Meanwhile, where is the leader of the House. You know. John Boehner.

October 11, 2013 10:20 am at 10:20 am |

Data Driven

"sources told CNN"

WHAT sources? Paul Ryan's staffers? I am RAGING against this notion of Paul Ryan as savior.

Guess what, media? We don't like Paul Ryan. We will never like Paul Ryan, the man who wants to dismantle Medicare. You know what Ryan is comparable to? The guy in the skinhead group who grows out his hair and wears suits on TV, speaking in an even tone utter nonsense. We're not buying it, media - sorry. Publish all the unsourced spin you like, but the fact remains: Ryand didn't get a deal done with the President. Scoreboard!

October 11, 2013 10:23 am at 10:23 am |

Sniffit

"Senate Republicans are also confused about why the House proposal doesn’t address the partial government shutdown. "

No they're not. It's not confusing whatsoever: Obama's refusal to tolerate and engage in the House GOP/Teatrolls' attempt to force him to negotiate while they dangled the Sword of Damocles over his head has succeeded. He forced them to recognize that they won't get to do that with the debt ceiling, so they were trying to at least keep the shutdown going so they'd have some lesser form of unwarranted leverage. He is staring them down on that one too and appears to have succeeded there as well. That's ok though, CNN, you go ahead and ignore the credit he deserves for refusing to reward a tantrum...we all know it anyway (even the most rabid of Teatrolls, which is part of why they're going to be so livid).

October 11, 2013 10:29 am at 10:29 am |

rs

The GOP is still in denial:
Their party is in tatters
Their brand is only slightly more popular than the American Communist Party- and their numbers are still falling
Americans rejected their faux coup, and their tin-pot radicalism

There is NOTHING to negotiate- except perhaps how much jail time these suburban terrorists should get.

How to get the MSM to treat you like a hero for doing/saying something you should have been doing/saying from the very start:

1. Throw massive, inconsolable tantrum causing massive damage and problems to the middle-class and poor, while threatening apocalyptic damage to the entire nation and global economy.

2. Get stared down by one cool as a cuke POTUS who refuses to yield to your threats, ultimatums and tantrums.

3. Finally come around to doing and saying what you should have been doing and saying in the first place.

However, it should be noted that this only works if you're a Republican or Teatroll. IOKIYAR. Try this as a Dem and you'll have the MSM excoriating you within the first hour.

October 11, 2013 10:38 am at 10:38 am |

Malory Archer

Richard Long

Where are the OvamaCare enrollment stats?

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Never heard of "OvamaCare". As for the healthcare exchange stats; be patient, they'll be released in early November as planned, and and at the beginning of every month that follows.

October 11, 2013 10:39 am at 10:39 am |

Data Driven

@Lynda,

"A great before or after scoop for "real" journalists"

Ha! Yes! Precisely.

October 11, 2013 10:40 am at 10:40 am |

Rudy NYC

Negotiation? Negotiate what? What is the Tea Party asking for, and what is the Tea Party offering? The Tea Party is demanding everything, and offering nothing in return.

The Tea Party has overreached by a light year, and now they need something to save face. Guess what? Their overreach did anything but save face for the Democrats. In fact, it was an outrageous attempt to smear mud all over the Democrats. And now the Republicans want something so that they can walk away with their dignity intact? Are you kidding me?

The Republican Party has consistently displayed nothing but bad judgement since they took over Congress during the Clinton years. That's when they figured out that a hard, unrelenting push to the right works, at least for the little while it takes before the pushback comes.

Guess what conservatives? The Democrats are pushing back, and this time they will keep pushing until the hyper-right wing completely surrenders and capitulates. If necessary, the Democrats will send in weapons inspectors to make sure that the Tea Party infection is gone, so that the real Republicans can act like a respectable, competent political party.

October 11, 2013 10:41 am at 10:41 am |

Lynda/Minnesota

"That's ok though, CNN, you go ahead and ignore the credit he deserves for refusing to reward a tantrum...we all know it anyway (even the most rabid of Teatrolls, which is part of why they're going to be so livid)."

I understand your rhetoric, Sniffit ... but to be clear this is NOT OK. We've sat back and allowed this BS to continue for 5 years now. (Now I am being rhetorical.) Rewriting polling data to suit a narrative built on lies. Pushing truth in the middle of articles no one pays much attention to while allowing the false narrative to go forward full speed ahead. Adding one TeaPer after another to the ticker (Mark SANFORD for God's sake) as if these are the folks we should all be paying attention to. The list goes on and on.

Enough, CNN.

ENOUGH.

October 11, 2013 10:42 am at 10:42 am |

rs

Richard Long

Where are the OvamaCare enrollment stats?
_______________________
Coming at the end of the month-IF your banana-republic Republicans turn over the government to the rest of us by then.

October 11, 2013 10:44 am at 10:44 am |

sonny chapman

This is tough on Obama. He KNOWS that the Govt. Shutdown is hurting the Little People. But they'll be hurt even more down the line when the Tea Party threatens even more pain. Obama is like a General who knows that his troops will take casualties but he's thinking long term & wants to win The WAR..

October 11, 2013 10:47 am at 10:47 am |

Sniffit

"I understand your rhetoric, Sniffit.... "

Yeah, it's certainly not OK. I hope everyone recognized the sarcasm and didn't fall prey to Poe's Law :-)

October 11, 2013 10:49 am at 10:49 am |

Sniffit

Hmmm...anyone else starting to think John King has a mancrush on little Pauly "We didn't run the numbers" Ryan?

October 11, 2013 10:50 am at 10:50 am |

sonny chapman

Hey Richard, I've got an Ovamacre stat for you. In my state, La, our Gov., Bobby Jindal, who hates Obama more than he loves the Little People(there are many), refused to start a State Website for those who wanted to do the sinful act of getting health insurance. Using the fallback Fed system, whitch is a total screwup, only 12 have enrolled. In Kent., where their Gov. went with his own system, SEVEN THOUSAND folks have sinned & gotten health insurance.e

October 11, 2013 10:54 am at 10:54 am |

rs

Meanwhile in the soverign state of Arizona, Gov. Jan Brewer wants to re-open the Grand Canyon because the state's revenues are taking such a hit with the park closed. She even offered to pay. Negotiations went swimmingly until the state found out how much it costs to run the whole park- hundreds of thousands a day. Her spokesman said that meant the feds weren't "serious" about their offer (as if all you need to do is throw open the gates). ...then it was pointed out how badly run AZ State Parks are- many with NO FUNDING at all and still closed or run by the horribly underfunded Arizona Historical Society and volunteers since the TEA creatures arrived. Arizona still has closed highway rest areas.
Ah, the idiocy of the Right.

October 11, 2013 10:55 am at 10:55 am |

Data Driven

Sniffit, I'd say King is in the grip of seething, panting lust for Paul Ryan.

Don't moderate me away, bros! If I call a Democrat a "Dummy", like I did yesterday, will you post my comment?

October 11, 2013 10:56 am at 10:56 am |

rs

Hector Slagg

Well,
Sorry folks. You thought everything was going to be warm and cozy with Obama Care. The advent of Obama Care is like opening Pandora's Box and running right into Murphy's Law. ANYTHING THAT CAN GO WRONG WILL GO WRONG. How much longer do some of you need a Baby Sitter. It is time a lot of you got your nose bloodied and found out what real life is all about. Look carefully. the job you save may be your own.
________________________
Ummm, Hector? You're party just died. Yeah, thought we might get you off your soapbox now....

October 11, 2013 11:19 am at 11:19 am |

Tampa Tim

Richard Long – Be patient grasshopper. We will get a review at the end of the month, and you will see that you are wrong. Republicans think they speak for all Americans, but in reality, only 28 %. Oh yes, do you have a size problem?

October 11, 2013 11:21 am at 11:21 am |

Tampa Tim

Despite the Kochs spending hundreds of millions of dollars to discredit Obamacare, it is 4 times more popular than congressional republicans. It is a shame that those of us in red nanny states won't be able to get our health care premiums reduced.

October 11, 2013 11:24 am at 11:24 am |

Gunderson

EECH!,
I see Harry Reid now badmouthing Koch Brother's. First he say Romney no pay any Taxes and no Badmouth Koch Brother's. What Next Harry? Probably Conservatives no pay Fair Share huh Harry? Sorry Harry, you already spend all money. now 17 Trillion in Debt. How you fix that Harry? Soak Rich? No wonder Rich take money Offshore. Any more smart moves, Harry? Time regular people start paying for benefits, Harry? You have soak poor now Harry.

October 11, 2013 11:44 am at 11:44 am |

Malory Archer

Tampa Tim

It is a shame that those of us in red nanny states won't be able to get our health care premiums reduced.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Baby, if your policy was written after the ACA became law not only will your Florida premiums NOT be reduced, our illustrious governor and his merry band of sycophants in the Legislature passed legislation allowing insurance companies to raise your premium by as much as they want whenever they feel like it! And they ADMIT they did so for the sole purpose of making Floridians HATE "Obamacare".

On another topic, bill young dropped his retirement papers yesterday. After 42 years of same old/same old, it's well past time for a Dem to take that seat, and with Pinellas County being the last "librul" bastion in a sea of teabag crazy, that just might happen!

But I want to call it a failure now!!!! Rick Scott is putting thd screws to his citizens, let's see how well he does come election time,this guy has no shame, how did the guy responsible for the largest Medicaid fraud EVER get elected, he should be in prison